Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. The US president made the remarks during a white-tie state dinner at the White House on Tuesday, following bilateral talks with the monarch earlier that day.
As head of state, the King is expected to remain politically neutral, and Trump's comments are likely to cause embarrassment for royal aides. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The king is naturally mindful of his government’s longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”
In his speech, Trump stated: “We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … we’re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”
During his state visit, King Charles addressed Congress and made no direct mention of the Iran war, but highlighted the importance of Nato and continued support for Ukraine. At the state dinner, he referenced his mother's 1957 visit after the Suez crisis, saying her task was to help “put the ‘special’ back into our relationship”.
